Affection/Two
TWO ~ CHEETAHPAW you saw me with jealousy you saw me with envy now it just seems weird especially now we're not empty Personally, I was unhappy with the fact that Snowfall and all the other mentors had decided to place me with Ashpaw, probably my biggest rival in BurnClan. However, deep down, I knew that they were trying to do it for all the right reasons. We did struggle to get along, but we needed to learn. Ashpaw looked rather sullen at the announcement that he was to be paired with me. I said nothing. There are benefits, sometimes, with working with ones you don't like. At this point in time, we were padding through the forest, not saying a word to one another. Ashpaw was sniffing at the ground, picking up trails of any small rodents that may be passing by. I just kept on the lookout. Suddenly, without warning, he abruptly stopped. At the time, I was trailing behind him, so I didn't know what he'd done... not until I'd crashed right into his side and fallen over. Irritably, I rubbed my black-spotted leg against the ground. Stupid idiot, look where you're going! I wanted to hiss at him, but I kept my mouth shut. After all, I needed to listen to my mentors, my elders. With their guidance, I knew that one day, I could become what I wanted, my ultimate goal - to one day lead my Clan. I knew this was unlikely - my mother, Birchsun, told me that before an unknown illness swept through camp and took her life - but that was my desire. I wanted to be the best. And nothing could stop me. By now, Ashpaw had turned around to face me. The dark tom's amber eyes - which seemed to scorch you whenever he stared at someone - burned into my blue ones. "Look where you're going," he grunted at me. I hissed angrily. You should be the one who needs to look where you're going, mouse-brain! I narrowed my eyes at him as I slowly got to my paws, not speaking a word to him until I had gotten back onto my paws. That was when I replied. "Are you sure, Ashpaw? Maybe you should be the one who looks where he's going, before he decides to stop right in front of another cat." Ashpaw looked furious at my remark. His eyes seemed to burn even harder now, now that I knew that I'd made a mark on him. He opened his mouth to make another remark. "Maybe you should -" he began. However, I was too quick for him. I still knew the task at hand - he seemed to have forgotten what we were really meant to be doing. "Maybe we should stop arguing and get back to hunting," I retorted sharply. Ashpaw didn't reply to me. Slowly, he turned his scorch-like gaze away from me - making me relax a little more - and after a pause, he padded off again. I padded off after him, feeling triumphant. I knew that I'd won that one. It also wasn't as bad as usual, which was a relief. And no mentors either, thank StarClan, I thought, with a sigh of relief, as I tasted the ear and didn't pick up either of Redsky's, Snowfall's, and Leopardbreeze's scents. We sunk back into the routine that had come before our small argument - us being silent, not looking at one another as we padded near each other. The torpor continued, and now, I started to feel bored. I hated lying around with nothing to do - I needed to hunt for my Clan, and do my duty! As I thought this, at long last, Ashpaw's tail flicked up, and this time I watched him slow down, and eventually stop. He then turned around to face me, after I had followed suit. One look told each other that we'd done the right thing that time. Now, I was watching the tom himself take a few deep breaths in front of me, catching his breath. After doing this for a short moment, he turned back to me. "Let's get hunting," he mewed in a monotone voice, looking out into the distance. We were close to the border - I could tell because the density of the forest had started to increase, more and more trees. I just nodded in reply. Walking over to Ashpaw, I paused for a moment, before tasting the air in front of me. That was when I picked up the enemy scent for the first time. It wasn't like BurnClan's scent at all. It smelt... somewhat watery and muddy, with the scent of trees overtop of that. It smelt disgusting. I reeled back when I smelt it - it was that bad. At this, I shot a sharp look at Ashpaw. "Can you smell that?" Ashpaw narrowed his eyes. "What?" He then paused to taste the air - and he too reeled back in disgust. "Ugh. That is disgusting. Who in the name of StarClan would intrude on BurnClan territory? That's definitely catscent." I flicked my ear at Ashpaw, silently agreeing. At once, my feelings of hate for Ashpaw seemed to fade, and now it was the time to focus on the task at hand, rather than on the past. I sniffed at it again, wanting to retch as the vile scent hit me, but I held it. My ears flattened against my skull. "I... don't know," I mewed, my voice faltering. "I don't know why anyone would want to..." "Intrude," finished Ashpaw, correctly predicting my final word. He then padded off a little more into the distance to the nearby bush. "There's more here," he whispered, sniffing at the bush. "It's really -" He was cut off with a scream as all of a sudden, a pale yellow blur came along, and tackled Ashpaw down to the ground with a thud. And I was too shocked to do anything but to watch. sometimes it's best to forget about your dislike and to test how much you are alike